Robotic Comfort
by shopgirl152
Summary: With Buffy still depressed and Tara gone, Willow finds an odd sort of comfort. Willow/Buffy-bot friendship one-shot


Willow walked through the front door, sadly setting her keys down on a nearby table. She walked to the bottom of the stairs. "Buffy? Buffy, you around here?" She waited a few minutes, before heading into the kitchen. "Guess not. Well…alright then. Guess I'll make myself a sandwich."

She walked into the kitchen, grabbing sandwich fixings out of the cupboard. "Bread, jelly, peanut butter." She smiled wryly. "Nothing like the classic PB&J." She dipped the knife into the peanut butter, thinking as she spread it around. Things had been quiet around here lately; Buffy worked all day; Xander worked; Anya ran the Magic Box, Dawn was at school and then…there was her. Lonely Willow. "Lonely Willow; stuck in this house all by myself." She sighed; Tara hadn't even been dead that long and she still missed her terribly. She sighed again, plopping down at the kitchen table, sandwich in hand.

"Hello Willow!"

Willow turned as a bubbly Buffy bounced into the kitchen. She swallowed her bite of sandwich. "Oh…uh…hi Buffy-bot; how's it going?"

"It's going great! I mean, I can't find Spike, but it's a good day!" She leaned down to Willow, whispering conspiratorially. "I think Spike is hiding from me."

Willow swallowed a laugh. "Oh, I'm sure you'll find him."

"Oh, I don't doubt that! His love is true." Willow refrained from rolling her eyes as Buffy-bot peered at the sandwich. "What are you eating Willow? It looks good." She reached over to have a bite, only to have Willow slap her hand away. "Ow! Why did you hit me Willow?"

Willow smiled kindly. "Sorry Buffy-bot; I worked to hard putting you together; I'm not about to let you eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich; it'll gum up your insides."

"But…I like gum."

Willow raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh. Sure." She chuckled lightly as Buffy-bot pouted at her. "Here; I'll find you some oil."

"Thank you Willow."

"Oh…uh…you're welcome."

Buffy-bot watched as Willow headed toward the garage. As soon as she made sure Willow was gone, she snatched the sandwich from the counter, popping the last bite into her mouth. "Mmm…I don't know what Willow was talking about. This won't….gum up….my….insi…"

"Okay Buffy-bot; I got you two kinds of oil; car oil and—" Willow groaned at the sight before her; slumped over, a piece of jelly on her lips, was Buffy-bot. She had completely malfunctioned. Willow grumbled, dragging Buffy-bot into the living room. "I told you not to eat that, but would you listen? Nooo."

* * *

"Thanks for fixing me up Willow; I feel much better now."

Willow grumbled, jabbing a screwdriver into the robot's back. "Sure…not like I had anything _else_ to do today."

"You rescued me from that sticky sandwich. I'm sorry I ate it." She wriggled in the chair.

"Buffy-bot, hold still. You're not clean yet; there's still peanut butter and jelly all over your wires."

"You sound angry Willow."

"Gee…what gave you _that_ idea?" She jabbed the screwdriver into another screw, twisting the tool furiously.

"Ow. That hurts Willow."

"Yeah? Good; maybe you'll know how _I_ feel then, since you're so perceptive."

"How you feel? How do I know what you feel? I'm not you; I'm Buffy-bot." She tilted her head to the side as Willow closed her back panel. "How do you feel Willow?"

"You wanna know how I feel?! I feel…wait. You're a robot. How…how did you know about empathy? I didn't program that into you." She paused. "Did I?"

"Sharing is caring."

"Where did you learn that?"

Buffy-bot's eyes brightened. "Sesame Street!"

Willow raised an eyebrow. "Sesame Street?"

"Yeah! Ernie and Bert! They share! They're roommates; they share everything!" Buffy-bot paused. "Don't you know how to share Willow? It's good to share your feelings."

"And who says that?"

"Grover!" Willow put her hand over her mouth, stifling a laugh. "What's so funny Willow?" Buffy-bot nodded toward the television. "Grover's very wise."

"Yes, Grover _is_ very wise." Willow smiled.

"Come on Willow! Let's share!" Buffy-bot sat down on the couch, patting the cushion next to her.

"Well…" Willow considered for a moment, then shrugged. "Why not?" She plopped down next to Buffy-bot.

"Sit closer," Buffy-bot urged, taking Willow's arm and pulling her closer.

"Really Buffy-bot, I don't think this is such a good idea."

The blonde robot tilted her head, looking at Willow in curiosity. "Why not? Friends talk to each other; they talk to each other and cry on each other's shoulders."

Willow smirked as she laid her head down on Buffy-bot's shoulder. "And who'd you learn that from? Mr. Snuffleupagus?"

"Nooo…Big Bird!"

Willow burst out laughing.

* * *

"So…that's it; Tara, the love of my life, is gone; and Buffy's emotionally unavailable." Willow sighed. "I used to be able to talk to Buffy about anything, but not anymore. Now she's just depressed. Then, if Buffy wasn't available, physically or emotionally, I had Tara to talk to. Now…I have nobody. Nobody notices poor, lonely 'ol Willow."

Buffy-bot tilted her head to the side again. "I notice Willow."

Willow sat up. "You do?"

"Yes. You come home everyday and you make a sandwich."

"It's…it's not same thing Buffy-bot."

"Yes it is; everybody notices Willow. Everybody loves Willow; Xander, Buffy, Dawn, everybody loves Willow."

"But—"

Buffy-bot gently placed two fingers on Willow's lips. "Everybody…loves…Willow. Just…to busy." Buffy-bot took her fingers away, bounding off the couch. "Nice talk! Where's Spike? I think I need to find him."

Willow watched as Buffy-bot flung open the front door, skipping down the street. "Spike!" She covered her mouth, shaking with laughter at the robot's antics.

"Hey Willow." Buffy walked in the door, setting down a bag of groceries. "Um…why's Buffy-bot skipping down the street?"

"Oh. Um…I think she went to look for Spike."

"That figures; robot's got a one track mind." She sat down on the couch next to Willow. "So…what'd you do all day?"

"Oh, nothing much. Went to class; made myself a sandwich; fixed Buffy-bot—"

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Again?"

"Oh…uh…she ate part of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich I was eating." Willow frowned. "Even though I told her not to. That was fun; then we talked."

"You…talked. As in…civilized conversation? With a robot?"

"Well…yeah. We had a good talk. I mean…you weren't around…I needed someone to talk to."

Buffy sighed. "I'm sorry Will; I've just been so busy, with Dawn and taking care of the house and working. I've really wanted to be at home; I just…haven't had the chance." She wrapped Willow in a warm hug.

"It's okay Buff; I understand."

"I love you."

"I know."

The two friends pulled apart. Buffy looked at Willow curiously. "So…what did you guys talk about?"

"Oh…it's—it's not important."

"Okay, if you say so."

"So…do you think Buffy-bot will find Spike?"

"I sure hope so." Buffy got up from the couch, grumbling." He could use some good punishment." Willow laughed, following Buffy into the kitchen.

* * *

A loud, frantic knock resounded on the crypt door. Spike got up from his bed, smirking. "Come back to see me, eh love?" He smoothed his hair back before opening the door. "I know you couldn't—"

"Hi Spike!" Buffy-bot bounded into the crypt, talking a mile a minute. "Isn't this great? I finally found you! I mean, it took me almost all night, but I found you! I haven't had sex in two days? Do you want to have sex? Ooo…is this a beer bottle?"

"Oh bloody hell."


End file.
